The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in a funk since 2017 started. In that time, they are just 22-19 with the fourth-worst defense in the league. It’s been an unusually long stretch of bad basketball, accentuated in March where they are 6-9 with the worst defense in the league.
On Monday, the team suffered yet another embarrassing loss, this time to the San Antonio Spurs by a final score of 103-74. Injuries have taken a toll on the Cavs, but they have also been under-achieving in the face of adversity.
After the game, LeBron James attempted to make sense of the recent play from the Cavs:
LeBron James on the Spurs: "The way we've been struggling, this is the last team that you want to play. A well-oiled machine like this."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
LeBron James: "Right now, the way we've been playing, it's felt like a roller coaster all season long."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
LeBron James: "We look a little slow versus a lot of these teams."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
LeBron said it's a "delicate time," and he's learned there's a time and a place for him to talk. "There will be a time when I say things."
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
Meanwhile, the Cavs’ slide has allowed the Boston Celtics to momentarily take control of the first seed in the Eastern Conference. LeBron’s teams have typically not had much of an issue winning on the road, but James seemed concerned from a different perspective (via Tim MacMahon of ESPN):
LeBron James on the Cavaliers slipping to second in the East behind the Celtics: “How much does it matter to me? It matters more that we’re playing better basketball than where we’re at, and if that results in us getting the number one seed, getting the number two seed, three or whatever the hell it is, I want us to be playing better basketball. That’s what it comes down to. I’m not worried about anything. I feel like when we’re playing Cavaliers basketball, when we’re playing the type of basketball that we know we’re capable of playing, when we’re at full strength, we can start off on the road. We’ve done it before.”
As the Cavs’ lack of speed shows, head coach Tyronn Lue admitted that he has put some thought into resting his starts for a stretch before the playoffs. He and James both spoke to the media about that possibility:
Ty Lue was asked if he's thought about resting guys for a stretch before playoffs: "It's crossed my mind," he said. "I might get in trouble"
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
LeBron on Lue saying he's thought abt resting guys: "If guys are having heavy legs, they should go to coach and say they need rest…I'm ok"
— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) March 28, 2017
Lue and others have come under fire recently for resting healthy players, especially in nationally televised games. But his job is to get the Cavs’ ready for the postseason and right now, they do not seem prepared.
It’s hard to take too much away from a regular season slump from the Cavs. After all, they still have LeBron James and his teams have typically been fine after extended poor play in the regular season.
But this is unlike anything we’ve seen before and at this point, it’s fair to have some concern over the Cavaliers’ chances of winning the title this season, even if they are still the presumptive favorite to get out of the East.
